Where is the hill of joshua? What is the history of joshuas tomb?
And remember when Moses said to this servant “I will not give up (travelling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travelling.” But then when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel. (Surah al-Kahf; 18:60-61)
Yuşa Hill or the Hill of Joshua is located in Anadolu Kavağı, in Beykoz province. At the top of the hill, there is a tomb which is believed to belong to Yuşa (Joshua), and a mosque built next to it.
According to the narrations, Yuşa (pbuh), who was one of the commanders of Moses (pbuh), was the son of Moses’ sister. He was mentioned as “Yeşu” in Christian and Jewish sources. After Moses’ death, – even though there is no clear information – it is believed that Joshua continued the mission of prophethood. It is even supposed that he was the person who saved the Jews from nomadism and helped them to settle down in Canaan.
The journey of Moses and the Khidr (as) was told in chapter al-Kahf verse 60-65. According to Muslim scholars, Joshua was the servant of the Moses mentioned in that story.
The belief that the tomb belongs to Yuşa is based on a miraculous act of Yahya Efendi whose tomb is located in Beşiktaş. However, in reality, it is not possible to say for sure that this tomb belongs to Yuşa, because there are also narrations expressing that Yuşa’s tomb is in the city of Nablus or Maarra which is near to Aleppo (Halep). And again, it is not known whether Yuşa (pbuh) came to Istanbul or not. When we think about that this hill was also regarded as a sacred place during the time of Byzantine Empire, then we can say that it may belong to a saint or a disciple of Jesus (pbuh) (hawari).
In 1755, a mosque was built and the tomb was surrounded with walls by Mehmed Sait Pasha. It was repaired by Sultan Abdulaziz in 1863 after it was destroyed by a fire.
The Journey of Moses and Khidr
And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his boy-servant: “I will not give up (travelling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travelling.”
However, when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel.
So when they had passed further on (beyond that fixed place), Musa (Moses) said to his boy-servant, “Bring us our morning meal; truly, we have suffered much fatigue in this, our journey.”
He said, “Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock? I indeed forgot the fish; none but Satan made me forget to remember it. It took its course into the sea in a strange (way)!”
[Musa (Moses)] said: “That is what we have been seeking.” So, they went back retracing their footsteps.
Then they found one of Our slaves, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us. (al-Kahf, 18: 60-65)
Source: Harun Kırkıl, Read About and Travel Around ISTANBUL, Erkam Publications